Coimbatore: A rogue elephant named Rolex, which killed four people, has been triggering panic in villages close to the forest in Coimbatore, near the Palakkad-Kerala border. Manorama News reported that the Tamil Nadu Forest Department has launched a fresh mission to tranquillise the jumbo after a failed attempt on Tuesday night.

Though forest officials are generally barred from capturing animals at night, they were forced to act on Tuesday as Rolex tends to stray into the village only during dusk hours. However, the mission failed as the elephant ran back to the forest even after being hit with a tranquilliser dart.

On Thursday night, Rolex strayed into residential areas again. Visuals aired on Manorama News showed the jumbo walking along a road around 1 am, before turning back into the forest while being chased by officials.

The Forest Department launched “Operation Rolex,” noting that allowing the elephant to continue roaming near villages would endanger lives.

Around 50 forest personnel and three kumki elephants were deployed on Tuesday to capture the tusker. That night, the jumbo was spotted in a farm at Kembanur, but it fled after veterinarians fired two tranquilliser darts. The first missed, but the second hit the target—yet Rolex ran into the forest in panic. A widespread search, assisted by drones, later located the elephant with a herd at Thaliyur near Yaanaimaduvu forest.

The mission was resumed after farmers intensified protests over the elephant's repeated incursions into farmlands.